Yum and double yum! This weekend I had my first fresh strawberries of the season. Is there anything more felicitous for spring?

While you may be eating your strawberries because they are lip-smackingly good, you are also doing yourself a wonderful favor nutritionally. Strawberries are high in vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and anti-arthritic phyto-chemicals. They are an excellent source of soluble fiber. Not only do they guard against anemia but they also help prevent gout, arthritis, kidney issues and cancer.

As a few of you know, this past weekend I began the 13 month process of becoming a medical qi gong teacher. Your first question may be, what is qi gong? Your second question may be, what does that mean for me when I come for an office visit? -Excellent questions!

VERY simply stated, qi gong is asystemofbreathingandexercisedesignedtobenefitbothphysicalandmentalhealth. This definition is a good starting place to explore qi gong. Eventually, there will be regular classes available through the practice but right from the start there are qi gong “moves” that will benefit you. Some of you have already been prescribed qi gong when you’ve come for a visit to the office. If you’ve ever received a set of exercises to do specifically to help change your chief concern(s), that’s a part of qi gong! It’s been around for thousands of years. It’s one of the four pillars of TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) treatment.

This weekend we learned about the Shaolin 8 Brocade qi gong. There are many interpretations of this type of 8 Brocade. It’s one of the most popular forms of qi gong.

Take a moment to watch the video of one of the interpretations and don’t hesitate to ask how 8 Brocade can benefit you the next time you visit.

In Chinese medicine there is an imbalanced state of health that we call damp accumulation or if it’s thick enough, phlegm retention. It doesn’t sound pleasant does it? When you visit an acupuncturist it’s one of the things we’re checking into about you.

If your health challenges do include damp (ask your acupuncturist if you don’t know!) it is very likely that you’ll get the “Let’s-see-if-things-improve-if-you-cut-out-dairy” talk. “CUT OUT DAIRY?!?!?!?” is the most popular response to that followed by a close second: “What about getting enough calcium in my diet?” Your acupuncturist knows quite well that if they suggest no dairy that they are about to get the stink eye at best and maybe threats to their overall safety at worst (usually cheese is the sticking point) but they will suggest it anyway because the possible benefits to your health could be life changing.

And be prepared, there are delicious milk substitutes that have a higher daily value percentage of calcium than milk and green leafy veggies often trump those numbers as well.

So, let’s look at the numbers for one cup of each….

Milk

Almond

Soy

Flax

Rice

Calcium

28%DV

45%DV

45%DV

30%DV

30%DV

Protein

8g

1g

6g

0g

1g

Fat

7.7g

2.5g

3.5g

2.5g

2.5g

Calories

149

60

90

50

120

Hopefully, these numbers will give you the courage to go out and try something new. Just remember to always consider any allergies you might have to a new substance.

If I had a nickel for every time one of my patients reported seeing Dr. Oz talking about acupuncture I’d be a rich acupuncturist! As it is, thanks are definitely in order to him for furthering the cause of TCM (traditional Chinese medicine).